Wine: Batasiolo Dolcetta d’Alba

Country: Italy

Region: Piemonte

Designation: Dolcetto d’Alba DOC

Brand/Producer: Batasiolo

Grape Varietal: Dolcetto

ABV: 13%

Type: Red

Code: 1933

Tasting Note

Inviting forest fruit aromas are intertwined with wafts of gentle lavender and violet.  Fruits on the palate are rich and rewarding with more ripe plums and cherries balanced with some sweet spices and bitter almond in the finish.

Producer

Beni di Batasiolo is the largest family-owned wine producer in Italy's Piedmont region. The Dogliani family has lived in Italy’s Langhe district for three generations, and since 1978 has grown Batasiolo to encompass more than 320 acres of vineyards.

For more than 30 years, Batasiolo has been led by second generation Fiorenzo Dogliani, who got his start in the wine business with his brothers and sisters in 1962. Fiorenzo has received many accolades over the years, including his recent inclusion among the “Grandi Cru d’Italia”, a group of the most prestigious Italian wine companies representing the highest expression of both the cultural and qualitative values of the Italian wine regions.

Winemaking

Dolcetto can be translated as “the little cutie” referring to its lighter body and style when compared to Nebbiolo. However, it can also be traced to “dusset” in the local dialect meaning hill or ridge, which happens to be where the best Dolcetto grows in the area. 

Grapes are picked by hand from selected vineyards and destemmed to reduce tannic influences. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel to preserve the fruit flavours with a second malolactic fermentation adding richness and complexity to the wine. 

Fun Fact

In 1978, the Dogliani family purchased the historic Kiola Winery and Batasiolo Hills in Piedmont. This purchase included two “beni” – or estates -  in the internationally renowned zone for growing the celebrated Nebbiolo da Barolo grape, adding to the family’s existing seven estates. They named their company Beni di Batasiolo after the central vineyard where the winery and cellar are located.

Food pairing

Pairs well with appetizers, pasta and risottos, white and red meat; in the Langhe region, this

wine is considered the ideal pairing for everyday meals such as a dish of tajarin (homemade pasta from the Langhe).